On a crescent moon beach, just metres from the shoreline, fishermen were making repairs, their nets spread out across a handy skateboard ramp. Behind them was a Hindu temple, surrounded by colourful guesthouses, souvenir shops and restaurants. I had dodged the laundry lines crisscrossing the alleyways of Fisherman’s Colony in the Indian town of Mahabalipuram to make it to the sea, in search of the waves I’d heard about – and wanted to surf.

If the double “i” in the name didn’t prompt reluctance, there’s a couple of worrying signs regarding Bitcoiin2Gen.

As noted by Coindesk, the website for Bitcoiin2Gen lists no details about who’s actually behind the cryptocurrency. Its domain was originally registered in 2015 in Panama, but changed hands around Jan. 8.Read more…

With tickets for Eurostar’s direct service to Amsterdam on sale from 20 February, we pick some of the city’s best restaurants, parks and cultural attractions away from the tourist centre

Amsterdam’s reputation for stag dos, spliff and sex tourism belies the rich pickings beyond Dam Square. Described by locals as a village, Amsterdam has the arts, entertainment and startup scene of many larger cities but retains a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. As a resident, I love that all my favourite places are just a short journey away. The vibe is laid-back and the dress code avoids the stiff chic of more status-conscious cities: the rule is, if you can’t cycle in it, don’t wear it. From picturesque narrow streets of higgledy-piggledy houses to sweaty techno nights in converted factories, this city reveals its many faces to those willing to stray from the tourist hotspots.

In once sleepy Kadıköy-Moda, new nightlife and culture hotspots happily coexist with the district’s established restaurants and cafes

Until recently, the neighbourhood of Kadıköy-Moda, on the Asian side of Istanbul at the southern end of the Bosphorus, was an unremarkable, mostly residential place that barely registered on the city’s cultural map. Over the past few years, however, it has become an unlikely hotspot for cutting-edge bars, art and culture hubs, cafes and music venues, as well as a haven for plugged-in, liberal-minded people opposed to Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian political climate.

Since the Brexit referendum, the Irish border has again become a source of tension but on the ground it remains a fascinating wilderness of low mountains and fantastic hiking country

Today I’m hiking from Thur Mountain to the Cavan Burren along lanes and among prehistoric relics. This is north-west Ireland, not far from the sea but far enough for me to call it midlands. My route goes from Co Leitrim into Co Cavan, staying close to the border with Northern Ireland. For so long associated with violence and up against the appeal of the west coast, Ireland’s borderland has been ignored by travellers. Yet its history is fascinating and there are many beautiful stretches. Word is starting to get out, but this still feels like Ireland’s undiscovered region.

I spent last night in a B&B in Glenfarne, a thinly spread community of farms and homes. Clancy’s (doubles from €89 B&B, walking packages available) appears to be the area’s heart, a string of businesses along the roadside, under one roof. It’s a B&B, a cafe, a shop and a post office.

This is a change of heart for the organization, which previously banned setting up cookie booths in front of dispensaries. In a deleted tweet from 2014, its Colorado council stated, “If you are wondering, we don’t allow our Girl Scouts to sell cookies in front of marijuana shops or liquor stores/bars.” Read more…

Chinese new year signals major travel across the country, and railways are at the heart of many journeys. Author and BBC journalist Michael Bristow knows China well – and the insight time on board offers

Chinese people will make nearly 400 million train trips over Chinese new year (16 February this year). Migrant workers will leave the cities and head back to the countryside to see their children; students will travel home for the long winter holiday; elderly parents will visit their grown-up children.

The mass arrival of cars and planes has changed the nature of travel in China but the railways remain the country’s most important form of transport. However, trains do not just get you from A to B: in China, these often long journeys give travellers a snapshot of ordinary life, a sense of where they are.

The current New Zealand Prime Minister is featured in the March issue of Vogue, where she’s been labelled the “anti-Trump,” admired for the way she speaks about poverty and homelessness with a “blend of Bernie Sanders’s bluntness and Elizabeth Warren’s fearlessness.”

But of course, being Vogue, there was plenty of attention dedicated to Ardern’s photoshoot. Clarke Gayford, Ardern’s partner, made the photo his wallpaper.

For a beautiful day, start in the little fishing village of Tai O, trek around the lake and up towards a manmade pool nicknamed “infinity pool”. It’s not too long (around an hour) and has many beautiful views of the hills and sea – you can even spot the new rail track being built from China. Take bus 11 from Tung Chung to Tai O. On weekends and holidays, when there might be a lot of people, take the ferry to Mui Wo and take bus 1 to Tai O … and back. emily milward

Weird wonders, including a prowl around Amsterdam’s cat museum, a truly deep Transylvanian theme park and ‘Stalin’s World’ in Lithuania, have made readers embrace the quirky

For a surreal experience, look no further than the Salina Turda salt mine. The 120-metre-deep mine was built in the 17th century and briefly used during the second world war as a bomb shelter. Then, later, it was a cheese storage facility. More recently it has been converted into a magical underground theme park, with a ferris wheel, mini-golf, bowling alley and table tennis. It also has an underground lake with rowing boats that you can use to explore the mine.• Adult £5.75, child £2.90; ferris rides £1, row boats £2.90, salinaturda.euLindsay Watters

For millions of young girls and boys around the world, however, marriage is not a choice. It interrupts their childhood, forcing them into perilous cycles that are all too often impossible to break free from.

Many young women have risked everything to have the right to choose for themselves. And some managed to escape. Now they’re sharing their empowering stories with women all around the world.The storieswere presented in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is raising awareness about child marriage around Valentine’s Day – a celebration of love and our right to choose. Read more…

The company reportedly only shipped 3.9 million Pixel phones in 2017, according to IDC research director Francisco Jeronimo. For Google, that’s not too shabby for a newcomer — it’s twice the number of Pixels from the year before — but overall it’s still pretty weak, and a sign that there’s a long road ahead before the company even comes close to challenging Apple and Samsung.

A stay at a new wildlife centre offers families a mini safari experience – with monkeys, a night-time wolf expedition and breakfast with giraffes

Plus: More UK wildlife sanctuaries

It’s early evening and the gates to the wildlife park have been closed to the public. All is quiet, except for birdsong, the gentle rustling of wind in the trees and an occasional excited shriek from a gelada monkey. We (my six-year-old daughter Nell and husband Huw) are gathered around a fire pit along with four other families who are trying out Camp Baboon, a new night-time wildlife and bushcraft experience at the Wild Place Project, a satellite venture run by Bristol Zoo.